This morning I opened my fridge to find that I have probably over $100.00 worth of vegetables that were on the verge of going bad. Yes, I have been opening my fridge the whole week but for some reason it didn’t register it until this morning. .
Last weekend I went to the supermarket and in a second of momentary insanity I started loading the cart like I had to feed a family of 5.
So this morning I had no choice but to cook as much as I could. There is no way I am going to let anything go to waste, let alone food.
So I cooked the following:
Cabbage- sauted with onions and peppers.
Brussels sprouts – steamed them, later will saute with garlic.
Asparagus – sames as above.
Broccoli – steamed – will have some with pasta and sun dried tomatoes.
Corn – will cut and have it with salads.
Spinach – washed and got it ready. I will have some in salads and omelets
Arugula – Same as with spinach. I will have it in salads in omelets.
This entire week I will be taking lunch for me and assistant.
The problem with overbuying perishables is that, not only some always end up being wasted, but you are stuck knowing what you will be eating the whole week. For some people that is fine, but for me I like to have a couple of days unplanned, to go out or to eat whatever I am in the mood for.
But, with that being said, I definitely need to learn to go shopping with a list and not stray from it. When I was part of a couple it wasn’t too bad. We managed to eat all the food I bought (2 people taking lunch to work every day), but single me needs to make a list and follow it.
Do you plan ahead your menu for the whole week? Do you follow it?
Blessed with a Star on the Forehead 
I do this too. My husband says why don’t I just put them straight in the bin instead of the fridge?! I have good intentions but Gordon comes home late most nights a week and I can’t be bothered to cook them late at night. Instant salads seem the way forward at the moment. Thanks for following my blog.Sue x
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Thank you for the comment! Great point about intentions. We all start with good intentions, and as the week goes on we realize good intention is not enough! Have a great weekend!
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I am so guilty of overbuying especailly vegetables because I tell myself, this week it’s all we are eating except as usual we forget or I get too hungry and grab the easiest thing in the fridge. Sometimes i cook for the week cos of my kids but we still stray and eat what we are in the mood for. Nice post and recipe…might be checking some out if i am not too lazy
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Thank you for stopping by. I guess we all have things to improve, but also is okay to sometimes go with the flow. The more we try the closer we get to achieving it! Thank you for the comment!
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Happy Mother’s Day!
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There’s only the two of us and hubby takes lunch, usually leftovers from the previous night’s dinner, every day. We stick with a list and usually buy enough to get us through the week. We also like to check in the reduced to clear sections where we get some great bargains. If you think you’ve bought too much, certain veggies can be blanched and frozen for later use.
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Can you believe I don’t even know what “blanched” is, but I am going to look up. I have frozen vegetables before both cooked and uncooked but they just came out limp and soggy.
Thank you for teaching me something new and for stopping by!
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Hi,
I tend to over buy fruit, I always seem to buy too much and it goes off before we get a chance to eat it all. I usually make some fruit salad out of what I can, but unfortunately some does end up being thrown out.
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It seems there are a lot of us: people that aspire to get healthy and overbuy as a result of that. Fruit salad is a great idea! Have a great Mother’s Day weekend!
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You also have a great Mother’s Day weekend. 🙂
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I typically buy fruit and veggies that look and feel fresh. I don’t know what I’m going to do with them yet, I just buy them because they are in good condition. I figure out the daily menu that morning. Sometimes I’m able to do two menus for the next day. But usually, like you, I make whatever I’m in the mood for.
If I have a lot of veggies left that are ready to go bad, I make a vegetable broth and freeze it for later use.
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Thank you for stopping by and for commenting.
Vegetable broth? What a great idea. I am actually going to do that tomorrow morning because I realize that there is no way I can use all I have. Happy Mother’s Day!
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i have two farm markets within a mile of me. i have a good supermarket about two miles away. i would gladly get in the car and drive for any fruit or veggie on demand when someone wants it as opposed to watching them rot when i was asked to buy them a week ago and nobody ever used them. i hate that.
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I agree with you but it seems to be a catch 22: I try to have fruits and vegetables around so I will eat healthier, otherwise instead of going to buy healthy stuff I will just reach for whatever is already at home, normally unhealthy. Anyway, I am working on it and making progress on both fronts eating healthier and being less wasteful! Have a great Sunday!
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I am guilty of impulse buying when it comes to fruit and veg. I bring them home and then plan around them. Not the best way to do it, but…
Thanks for visiting and following me. It was a nice surprise!
~ Lynda
PS: Read your “About me.” I have been where you are. It gets better! 🙂
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Good morning! For some reason I can’t find “About me” on your page – it is probably just in front of my face. Thank you for the comment and kind words! Happy Mother’s Day!
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Oh, sorry! I never thought about it, but I guess I did disguise the “About Me” bits when I named them “Welcome to the Farmlet” and “Pixilated is.” These two pretty much sum me up. The rest of me is found throughout my blog pages. 😉
~ L
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Duh, I feel stupid now. lol. I will check it out.
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It sounds like you solved your fridge problem really well! I only shop once a week for groceries, so have a list of dishes I can make wih what I bought. We can eat them in any order, and most can be adapted! I hardly ever throw out vegetables or fruit, but bread is another story… I always buy too much! LOL!
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Unfortunately bread is my weakness, there is never enough for me!! If we lived near we could exchange veggies for bread 🙂
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Wow! That is a lot of veggies! As for me, I like to have a smaller fridge for the both of us since I like to go to the market about 3 to 4 times a week to buy food for only two of us. That way, the food is always fresh! When I was reading how you cooked the $100 worth of vegetables…my stomach started growling though. I’m vegetarian so that seemed like a feast for me!
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Unfortunately I am not that organized to go to the market during the week, so I have to make sure I buy whatever I need on a Saturday or Sunday.
In an effort to use most of the vegetables I even added the cooked cabbage to my linguine pasta with broccoli and sun-dried tomatoes and it came out great!
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Wow – that is quite the list! I try to be organized, but my travel schedule does not always allow. When I find a fridge full of veg that need to be used – I try to crock pot a stew or make a kitchen fridge soup! At least you are getting your veggies! When I travel, I come home vegetable deprived and tend to buy too many too!
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All we can do is try 🙂 A crock pot stew is a great idea – perhaps I should invest in one! Your adventures look great, I am going to enjoy following them!
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I do try and stick to my list when it comes to perishables – and buy extra or in bulk when said produce can be frozen – all those fruits (and sometimes even veggies!) are great when thrown frozen into smoothies in the summertime!
anne
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Smoothies are definitely a great idea for fruits! Thank you for the idea!
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Sometimes I get very focussed and plan all our meals so I can buy all the fresh ingredients at the weekend markets. Someimes I go there and just buy whatever takes my fancy. Vegetables are so versatile. If all creativity fails, throw them in the oven with some garlic cloves.
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Another great idea that I had not thought of (oven) and I have this stone cooking dish that is perfect for that! I think you have the right balance not to get boring, some times planned and some times unplanned. Thank you for the comment.
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But look what a healthy week you had!
I usually do plan a week of dinners since I have kids, but Saturday and Sunday are my days off from cooking. But like you, I can’t bear the thought of tossing food, so one night a week is leftover night. My kids hate it, but I love it.
Thanks for the follow on my blog. I appreciate it!
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correct, I have been eating vegetables for lunch and dinner! Mom is very proud! I always enjoy your post, so following it is a pleasure!
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Thank you!
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